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Plan a Study Timetable so you know when you’re supposed to be studying and what.. It makes it WAY easier to stick to a plan.

Make Study Cards: Study Cards are Index Cards which you write definitions and vocab on, so you can test yourself. The answer is on one side and the question or word is on the other

Make Study Guides: These are Notes that you can make from condensing powerpoint presentations your teacher has given you, or by reading and outlining the main points from your textbook.

study cards, revision guides and highlighters are your BFFs for now!

After you’ve done most of your revision is the time to join/form study groups to help go over the information you’ve already learned at home. This is a good time to do past paper questions.

The Day Before:

Don’t stress, Don’t cram. I usually go out, or do something else to take my mind off of the impending exam, and just take study guides and flash cards with me so I can flip through them.

Going for some light exercise like a walk can clear your head. Or you could go for a run if you’re into that.

Lay Out what you’re wearing the next day, If it’s your uniform, make sure you ironed it. If its normal clothes – make sure they’re super comfy.

Pack Your Bag; make sure you’ve got all the stationary you need, any documents – like something with a candidate number on it; etc, a bottle of water, painkillers etc, your ‘Just In Case’. Put all of them in your bag, and leave your bag in a convenient place for the next morning.

Don’t discuss what you know/don’t know with your friends before the exam. It can leave you feeling really freaked out.

In the Exam:

If you’re religious you can say a prayer before it starts (:

Write down any information you’re required to ( candidate number, name, whatever) when you’re told to do so.

Read ANY instructions on the booklet carefully before starting. Usually I do this twice.

Read through the whole paper first. This will give your brain a little time to think about the answers subconsciously while you go along reading the rest.

Start answering away. Most times you needn’t necessarily answer them in chronological order, once you number them well. Do what comes easiest, and then go to the harder ones when you have a bit more confidence.

If it’s multiple choice and you genuinely don’t know the answer.. guess. There are usually 2 which are similar, one correct and one incorrect. You still have a 50% chance of getting it right, and I kinda like those odds.

If you finish early, check over it MULTIPLE TIMES, because honestly I’ve noticed so many careless mistakes by rushing.

After you’re done checking.. you can go to sleep. That’s IT. you’re done (: If I can’t sleep in an exam I sometimes plan what I want to do, eat or blog.

After the Exam:

If you have spare time when you go home (e.g. you don’t have an exam for a week.) This is the opportune time you should write some blog posts, if you write your own blog. You can write a few and set them to upload across the next few days to buy you some time to study in.

Relax for that night, if you have another exam in the morning, try and look over your study guides, if not.. CHILL. You can resume studying from tomorrow if you have more exams.

I for one know I’ll praise the LORD when exams are done, but this helps me get through them as easily as I can. (: I seriously can’t wait :D!

Since it’s exam time, I thought it’d be suitable to post the top 7 reasons people fail exams, and how to fix them:

You Didn’t Organize:

Organization is key to success. It’s incredibly important to:keep all school materials together.pack your bag the night before.write down all tasks you need to do.

Order helps you to be able to focus on what you need to do and it makes it WAY easier when it’s test time.

You Didn’t Get Enough Sleep:

Sleeping is essential when studying, to allow your brain time to process the information you’ve gone over. If you only sleep 4-5 hours at night, your brain isn’t working towards its full potential. Shut down all your electronics even an hour earlier at night and go to sleep and you’ll see a marked difference in your ability to focus in school the next day.

You Didn’t Get the Right Nutrients

As hard as you may study, if your body is unhealthy; your brain function will be affected. It’s tempting when studying to just grab junk food and go back to studying, but your brain/body don’t function at their best when you’re eating non-nutritious meals. Next time you’re studying grab an some fruit and a glass of water, instead of a chocolate bar and soda and you’ll notice that you don’t experience a ‘crash’ like you do when you eat candy.

You Didn’t Plan Your Studies

A thing that really helps is if you keep track of due dates and test dates on calendars and in planners. When you can see just how much time you have and what tasks you have to do, it makes it much easier to plan what you have to do and when.

It also may be helpful to make a spreadsheet on your computer to make a ‘study schedule’ or drawing it out; if you’re the type of person who needs to have more detail in order to stay on track

You Didn’t Utilize Your Time

It’s not about the time you spend studying, but rather the amount of content you can remember when you’re done.

So instead of reading the ENTIRE BOOK over and over, read it chapter by chapter and make condensed notes of the important points. When it comes time for the exam, it’ll be much easier to revise and you won’t have to pore over your boring book. Also

– make study cards

– get someone to test you

You Didn’t Pay Attention to How Your Teacher Teaches

A lot of times the way a test is structured is based on your teacher’s specific teaching styles. As they vary and the test is usually set independently by them, you should make sure you understand what they mean.

It is also important that if you DON’T understand that you ask them for help.

You Weren’t Motivated Enough

It’s easy to lose motivation when studying, because it can feel like you’re not getting anywhere. The key is to set achievable short term goals, instead of having unrealistic goals that’ll demotivate you.

You should always keep in mind your long term goal- e.g. being a lawyer,doctor,teacher etc.

If you don’t know what you want to do, just focus on working hard to finish school, and then take it from there.